Phils-Mets: Put on Your Tacky Boots, There's No Raining in Baseball

Phils-Mets: Put on Your Tacky Boots, There's No Raining in Baseball

With a flood advisory in effect in Flushing Meadows, New York since early this morning, the Philadelphia Phillies find themselves in a bit of a dilemma. The effects of a rainy August and September have forced the Phils into two doubleheaders in the last eight days. The team hasn't had an off day since August 28th, in the hours immediately before and after Hurricane Irene.

With showers predicted for much, if not all, of the weekend, the Phillies need to find a way to play these games with the Mets before heading down to Atlanta for their final series of the year on Monday, unless Major League Baseball is open to scrapping a game entirely.

So break out the Mickey Mouse slickers, 'cause we're playing in the rain. The only question is when.

The wet weather is forecast to be less intense and frequent as the weekend progresses, meaning the teams have the option of trying to play through whatever baseballs gods throw at them tonight, attempting to schedule the Phillies's third doubleheader in the last two weeks, or trying to cancel the game altogether. Whatever they choose, at least some of this weekend's action is going to be rain-soaked assuming our friends at The Weather Channel aren't leading us astray. We're not meteorologists, people.

If baseball is played tonight, Cole Hamels is scheduled to pitch, and the Phillies are out to avoid their first seven-game losing streak since June of 2006.

Hamels struggles in New York have been well documented over his career, and the change of scenery offered in the move from Shea Stadium to Citi Field has done little to help matters. Lifetime, Cole is just 1-5 in starts against the Mets in NY. He's 1-4 at Citi Field with a 5.05 ERA in six starts.

In his last appearance in Flushing on July 16th of this year, Hamels was tagged for 7 runs and 8 hits in just 4.1 innings of work. It should be noted that Hamels allowed no more than 2 runs in any of his 4 other starts that month. For whatever reason, there's something about New York that Cole doesn't like. Whatever it is, at least we won't have to deal with it in the postseason…we think.

Standing opposed for the Mets, R.A. Dickey is the owner of an 8-13 record, 3.35 ERA and 1.25 WHIP. Dickey is actually on something of a tear considering he's only allowed 7 runs in his last 5 starts. That stretch includes two seven-inning shutouts. Fortunately, Dickey did surrender 4 earned in 7 innings the last time he pitched against the Phils. The final score of that ballgame on July 15th: 7-2 Philadelphia.

Matt Rhule's first Baylor hires include 4 Temple assistants

Matt Rhule's first Baylor hires include 4 Temple assistants

WACO, Texas -- New Baylor coach Matt Rhule has made some immediate Texas connections by hiring the president of the state's high school coaches who is a former Bears receiver.

Rhule announced his first five hires with the Bears on Friday, three days after being named Baylor's coach. They include four members from his staff at Temple and David Wetzel, the head coach and athletic director the past 13 seasons at Ronald Reagan High School in San Antonio.

Sean Padden will serve as Baylor's director of football operations, similar to his role at Temple the past four years.

Rhule didn't immediately announce the titles and job duties for Wetzel, Francis Brown, Mike Siravo and Evan Cooper. There was also no indication of when the rest of his staff would be completed.

Brown and Siravo were defensive assistants at Temple, and Cooper was director of player personnel for the Owls.

Wetzel, who has coached in the state high school ranks for 25 years, was serving as president of the Texas High School Football Coaches Association. He lettered at Baylor in 1990 and 1991 while playing for Grant Teaff, and also earned a master's degree from the school in 1994. Before Reagan, he was head coach at schools in Killeen and Austin.

Wetzel told the Waco Tribune-Herald that he expects to play a major role in recruiting, but didn't know yet if he'd be coaching offense or defense.

"Given the opportunity, it's really a unique deal," Wetzel told the newspaper. "I feel like it's God's timing for me to be in the right place at the right time."

When Rhule was introduced Wednesday in Waco, he said he had already received about 480 text messages, many from coaches. He also didn't rule out the possibility of some of the current Baylor assistants staying, but said he hadn't had a chance to meet with them. Those assistants were retained from former coach Art Briles' staff with Jim Grobe as acting head coach this season.

NoteBaylor announced Friday that Jalen Pitre, a defensive back from Stafford, Texas, signed a financial aid agreement that will allow him to enroll for the spring 2017 semester after graduating from high school early. Before Rhule was hired, Pitre was the only player verbally committed for Baylor's recruiting class in February. He had 83 tackles, six interceptions and four forced fumbles as a senior.

Dorial Green-Beckham didn't support any charity with his cleats last Sunday.

In reality, he was funding the NFL.

The Eagles' receiver was fined $6,076 by the NFL for wearing Yeezy cleats (Kanye West's shoes), which had no affiliation to a charitable organization or cause, CSNPhilly.com has confirmed. Players around the NFL last weekend wore decorative spikes supporting a charity or cause they felt passionately about as part of the league's My Cleats, My Cause promotion. Green-Beckham was fined because his cleats were unapproved by the league; earlier this season Houston receiver DeAndre Hopkins was fined for wearing Yeezy cleats.